Fruitiny Is Fast-Paced Fruit Matching Fun [Review]

Fruitiny is a retro-style memory game for iOS, one of those games that takes about 10 seconds to learn and many hours of tapping to conquer.

It’s an electronic version of simple memory games you might have played as a child, or with your own children. You get the briefest of glances at a series of objects, then they’re covered up or removed from sight. Can you remember what was where?

In Fruitiny, the objects are little fruity graphics on little digital cards. Swipe your finger over the cards to see them, then double-tap on the cards you think match. Simple, right?

Yes, simple at first, but increasingly fiendish as the levels progress. For someone like me, who frequently struggles to remember why he just got up out of his chair or why he opened the fridge, it’s also something of a challenge.

But as with all good puzzle games, a lot of the entertainment comes from not just the gameplay (although the gameplay is good), but from everything that’s wrapped around it.

Mmm, fruity

In that respect, Fruitiny scores well, because it’s so charming. The visual design has an 80s retro look, a tribute (say its makers) to Fukio Mitsuji (who made Bubble Bobble and Rainbow Islands) and the “Japanese golden age of videogames.” Even the icon is authentically old-fashioned, which helps it stand out on a screen’s worth of other apps.

The soundtrack and the sound effects are fantastic too, particularly the high-pitched squeaky bleeps that reward you as you make correct fruity matches.

Here’s the trailer video, which gives you an excellent overview of how to play and what to expect:

Fruitiny is an excellent idle-moments game, has something to offer for all ages, and is easily worth the dollar asking price (although there’s a lite version, with a small selection of levels, to try first if you wish). Great retro-style fun.